(Reuters) – The U.S. Secret Service refused to provide data on its computer security systems to the Department of Homeland Security in 2014, preventing it from being able to verify if it was complying with security policies, an inspector general’s report said on Monday.
The service, which has faced withering criticism after several security lapses including a White House breach in September, “refused to comply with mandated computer security policies,” according to the report by the DHS inspector general.
The review also said DHS agencies were not doing enough to protect computer systems from such high-risk bugs as Heartbleed, which allowed hackers to spy on computers but not take control of them.
The report said FEMA and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service still use the Microsoft Windows XP operating system, which may be vulnerable to hackers and that Microsoft stopped providing software updates for in April.
“DHS has worked to improve and secure its vast IT resources,” said Inspector General John Roth. “But those improvements can only be effective if component agencies fully adhere to the rules and DHS management vigorously enforces compliance.
“Failure to do so will pose a serious threat to DHS and its Homeland Security missions.”
The inspector general’s office said the Secret Service has agreed to begin providing the required data to the DHS chief information officer. It made six recommendations to improve security, which the department accepted.
Homeland Security combined 22 different federal departments and agencies into one when it was established in 2002.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Andrew Hay)
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The International Data Corporation just released a list of predictions that estimate where the cloud is going in 2015. At the top of their list, they stated that more than 90% of data that is transferred from devices over a network will be hosted via cloud services. Why is this number so high? It’s simply because the cloud services reduce the complexity of necessary support and offer a litany of cool new features – features that are changing the way companies of all sizes do business.
If you aren’t yet sold on cloud computing, here are 4 reasons why you should re-consider.
Low price point. Data growth has become a serious issue for many companies. Preparing for storage expansion is a top priority for any IT office head, and it can be a major undertaking for companies. Expenses range from planning and designing to equipment procurement, implementation, integration, and beyond.
Cloud services, on the other hand, give companies additional storage without the upfront cost of a project – all for one low monthly payment. Companies can host entire offices in a familiar environment and not be tied to capital expenditures for their server networks.
Variety of applications. From sales to finance, project management, data reporting, social media platforms for business, collaboration tools, mobile device management software, and beyond – there is an application out there to fit your business need. With cloud services, those new applications or services are even easier, install, implement, and launch company-wide.
Reduced risk. There is a risk that goes hand-in-hand with on-site data center expansion. It is fantastic when business is booming and you need more robust systems to carry-out operations, but what if your business hits a recession? All of the sudden, companies can find themselves caught between a high OpEx and low cash flow – which is a terrifying, uncomfortable situation for any business.
With the scalability of the cloud, companies can easily scale up or down their storage needs. With cloud computing, companies pay for the storage that they need to use, avoiding the tight pinch of slowing business.
Accessibility and collaboration. With cloud services, your company can access business-critical applications and services from anywhere with a secure internet connection. This means supporting and enabling enhanced collaboration with remote employees just got that much easier. Having easily accessible platforms offers more insight and visibility into the operations of your business – especially cloud applications with built-in analytics and reporting structures.
Want to explore how proven cloud services can change the operations of your business? As an IBM Business Partner, Aperio can help you tap into IBM’s rich portfolio of solutions sized and priced for mid-sized businesses. Reach out to an Aperio IT expert today to lay out your best options.
Photo courtesy of: http://www.unsplash.com
We are all heading somewhere.
Whether it’s to visit family for the holidays, a trip to the grocery store or being on the path to enhance your life, one thing necessary to arrive at your destination is learning how to change lanes effectively.
I could speak to you about literally changing lanes – using your blinkers, mirrors and gracefully merging into the gap that awaits you. That will surely get you to your destination safely and on time.
Let’s move this conversation to metaphorically changing lanes in your life.
With the New Year right around the corner, reflecting on 2014 will inform you of where you want to go in 2015.
What lane do you want to be in 2015?
The fast lane, the slow lane or somewhere in the middle?
For those of you that have been following me for a minute, you know I choose the fast lane. However, I’ve had a few signals lately, partnered with internal nudges, to move to a different lane.
How the heck do you do that when you’re used to moving at 100 mph and you have got places to go?
First, ease your foot off the gas. As I ponder what’s most important these days, I reconnect with my personal values, the non-negotiables that have to be present for me to say YES to something. If the activity is not aligned with those values, I say no, or at least not now. One of my values is to have fun with everything I do, so if it is not fun, I either look at how to make it fun or delegate the task to someone that finds it fun.
As I slow down, I enjoy the beauty around me. This lets me pick and choose the things I want to fill my calendar with. The second step to effectively changing lanes is to surround yourself with people that are spending time in the lane you want to be in.
Jim Rohn, author, entrepreneur and motivational speaker said, we are most like the 5 people we spend the most time with. Make a list of the people you are with the most and honestly ask yourself if they are supporting you in getting to your chosen destination. If not, start to put your attention on the type of people you desire and begin to attract them into your life.
Last but not least, have a clear picture of where you are going. I-285 is a highway that’s a big circle, outlining Atlanta. If you’re not sure where you are heading, it feels like you are going in circles – literally. Choose what you want to achieve this month and pick a lane, any lane. Committing to it will help you arrive there with more ease.
If you want to enjoy the holidays like you never have before, make sure your activities are aligned with what is most important to you, weave in the people you want to spend time with and have a clear picture of what you want to accomplish-even if accomplishment means more naps during the holiday break.
What lane will you choose to drive you forward in creating a phenomenal New Year?
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8853896
With so many unfortunate–and costly–data breaches making headlines today, it’s vital for businesses to safeguard their vital information with reliable security measures. By incorporating the following tips into your platform, you can better protect your company data for a more secure operation.
Create Secure Passwords
Be sure that you instruct your employees to create strong passwords. Security experts suggest that you “use an 8-12 character combination of capital and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Also, be sure every employee changes his or her password at least once every three months.” (1) Employees should also refrain from using personal names or birthdays in their passwords.
Use Security Controls
Businesses can adopt any number of security controls. For instance, a firewall is a good line of defense for your data. Moreover, investing in check-writing software will “cut operating costs, reduce operational risk, and improve customer service.” Remember that all devices that connect with your network must have security controls in place to reduce the risk for breach.
Invest in a Security Audit
If you’re not a security expert, you should hire one to perform an audit of your business’s security. An expert can locate the gaps in your security and provide you with effective solutions for shoring them up. If you don’t have an IT expert on staff that can advise you about maintaining strong levels of security, you need to hire a consultant who can provide you with this essential information.
Employee Training
Many security breaches occur because employees are lax about practicing security procedures each and every time. It’s important for companies to train their employees about respecting security measures and upholding them at all times. Make sure that you create excellent policies and procedures to govern your employees about how to deal with data. It’s a good idea to have a training workshop to review security procedures with both new and existing staff members. Make sure your employees understand that they are a vital aspect of your data protection plan.
Encrypt Data
If your data is stolen–and this is common given the wide array of devices used to access your network–you still have protection if your data is encrypted. Make a habit of encrypting all company data stored on everything from laptops to mobile phones.
Back up Your Company Data
If you routinely back up your data, you ensure that it will be there should a virus come along and wipe out your information. Many businesses are now using the cloud platform to store their data securely. In the event that your business suffers a natural disaster or a computer is stolen, you’ll still have that backup data to rely on.
If you consistently follow these tips, you can more effectively protect your valuable company data. Never take your security for granted. Even large companies have been caught off guard by data breaches. By following these tips, you can ensure the integrity of your data and protect the reputation of your business. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8794070 Photo Source: http://pixabay.com/en/users/Picography-361976/
Highly publicized events like hacked celebrity photos, credit card data theft from major retailers, and confidential business data loss from large corporations have drawn into question the security of Cloud storage, especially for businesses.
From customer payment information to internal pricing policies to large commercial and government bids, the data that businesses keep is critical, and its loss could be devastating – just ask Sony.
And it’s not only large corporations or financial institutions that should be concerned. One study showed that over half of the small businesses surveyed had experienced data theft, and half of those had experienced it more than once.
The corresponding business disruption can also cost companies big money. Even a simple file that takes an employee an hour to recreate costs you money, and it can snowball from there. Worse still, most insurance policies don’t cover data loss of any kind. And even if you can be monetarily compensated, it won’t change the fact that your data has been stolen.
In a post earlier this year we discussed the different file storage options for businesses (an on-premise server, public or private Cloud storage, or hybrid solution). Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. With on-site servers, your information is physically with you, under your direct observation and control. However, all it takes is a single bolt of lightning knocking out your server, or a cleaning lady clever enough to steal a password to simply walk away with your hardware. Viruses, stolen laptops, crashed hard drives, spilled coffee-all threats to your computing system also threaten your data.
The truth is, cloud computing is here to stay, so it is increasingly important to protect your data there. And guess what? With the right safeguards and protocols in place, it’s actually more secure.
Keeping your data secure in the cloud
Beyond 24/7/365 monitoring that should be the basis of any managed IT services relationship, here are five key ways that cloud storage provides greater security than on-site servers.
Controlled access: Know who accesses your data and when. Levels of access should be controlled and customizable by you, meaning that each employee should be given access only to the information that they need to get their work done. We also recommend two-factor authentication for an additional shield against cyber intruders.
Data encryption: The data you send to the Cloud should be encrypted during upload and encrypted again (and assigned a unique password) every time it’s opened on a device (smart phone, tablet, PC, Mac, etc.)
More robust firewalls and virus protection: Cloud storage facilities are constantly upgraded in response to the latest threats and to implement new technology. Besides malware detection and anti-virus software updates, make sure your IT service provider is able to detect and quickly remedy data breaches that may occur.
Sophisticated management and restoration capabilities: The right service provider can identify file changes between any two backup points on a system, and can see which files were created, modified or deleted at any point in time. This means your data can always be recovered to the latest version saved before it was destroyed by a virus or accidentally deleted. Off-site backups, built-in redundancies, fail-over protocols and fault-tolerant architecture that protects against power failures also prevent costly business disruptions.
Physical security: Cloud storage is located in highly secure data centers with restricted physical access, sophisticated burglar and fire alarms, backup generators and multiple redundancies and fail-overs. Many have multiple locations around the country, creating further redundancy in order to protect against a catastrophic loss in one location. On-premise servers rarely have this kind of fortress-like protection around them.
Is your data safe in the cloud?
Given the level of security measures, physical safeguards and redundancy, Cloud-based solutions can provide superior data protection if implemented and managed correctly. Our managed IT services professionals can help you assess and implement the best solution for your organization today-and develop a plan that makes good business sense for your future. Contact us to discuss your needs regarding data security issues and cloud storage options for businesses.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=E_Speidel
Photo Credit: Super Famous
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